Tony Curtis remembered at public funeral

A funeral service was held Monday morning in Las Vegas for famed actor Tony Curtis.The 85-year-old Oscar-nominated actor died last Wednesday from cardiac arrest at his home in Henderson, Nev.

Family members were surrounded by friends, fans and celebrities as they paid their final respects and celebrated the movie star's life.

A film tribute to the actor's diverse and iconic career flashed before more than 400 guests at Palm Mortuary & Cemetery. The crowd laughed as an animated Curtis appeared in a scene from the television series "The Flintstones" and sparred with actor Kirk Douglas in "Spartacus."

Inside, seven colorful paintings by Curtis stood on easels while a photo of the young, dark-haired actor was projected on a screen. An American flag covered the coffin.

Jamie Lee Curtis, Curtis' daughter from his first marriage with "Psycho" actress Janet Leigh, teared up as she described a man who was, she said, "a little mashugana," using the Yiddish word for crazy, but always full of life.

"All of us got something from him. I, of course, got his desperate need for attention," she joked.

The father and daughter were estranged for a long period, but they eventually reconciled and he took pride in her on-screen credits that include "Perfect," "Halloween," "True Lies," "Trading Places" and the new comedy "You Again."

Curtis began his acting career in the 1950s and appeared in a long list of films including "Some Like It Hot," "Sweet Smell of Success," "Spartacus," and "The Defiant Ones," which earned him an Oscar nomination.